A/N Thank you for all the reviews. Keep them coming in coz I love to read them. It wasn't disturbing my studies at all to write that last chapter. The fact that I was studying at all in my study period is progress. Someone thought it would be a good idea to give us swively chairs on wheels in our computer room at school. Actually it's a great idea, we just never get any studying done coz we spend all our time spinning round the room! Sorry this is totally random. Apparently we were supposed to grow up over the summer for our final year at school, but I'm still waiting. So anyway, on with chapter 9.

Sara had woken up for the second time that day. Although she was a little less woozy now, she was still a bit disorientated. Her hand scratched softly on the bed cover, until her fingers found Nicks warm hands. He was still sleeping, but she wove her fingers between his. She slowly became aware that she was in a hospital and vague memories of the riot drifted through her mind. She clutched Nick's hand more tightly, comforted by his presence. She tried to block the images from her mind and focus on Nick. He was all she needed right now. She knew that she'd been hurt, but she had no idea how badly. Right now she didn't care either, so long as he stayed with her.

She tried to shift herself in the bed, to get a better view of Nick's sleeping figure. A sharp stabbing pain tore through her chest, causing her to cry out and crash down onto the bed. Nick's eyes flew open and he jerked upright, so fats he almost fell off his chair.

"Sara! What are you doing?"

"Nick? What's wrong with me?"

"Don't you remember?"

Sara shook her head. Tears filled her eyes.

"I was hurt in the riot, right?"

"You were shot in the chest. You nearly died."

Realization dawned on Sara's face. "That girl!"

"Who Ellie?"

"Ellie?"

"Catherine's niece. The girl you were running to save when you were shot."

Concerned filled Sara's eyes. "Is she okay?"

"She's fine as far as I know. Thanks to you. A little shook up I guess, but that's all. Anyway, you shouldn't be worrying about anyone else. You've gotta concentrate on yourself and getting better."

Sara's hand drifted up to rest on her stomach. Something didn't feel right. Nick looked at her, but her eyes were empty.

"What about our baby?"

Now Nick's eyes were filled with tears. Without speaking he reached over and hugged Sara close to his chest, careful not to cause her any unnecessary pain. He let his tears fall freely as he buried his face in her hair.

"God Sara, I'm so sorry."

He didn't need to say anymore. Sara could figure the rest out for herself. She pulled away from him and turned her face away to stare at the blank wall opposite. Nick reached for her hand, but she snatched it away.

When she spoke her voice was cold and lifeless. "Why are you sorry? It's all my fault. I killed our baby. I just didn't think. I'm so selfish"

"Sara don't say that. Don't even think it. It's not your fault. It's the fault of the bastard who shot you. You're not selfish. You weren't thinking of yourself. You were only thinking of the life of a young girl, who you've never even met. That's not selfish. It's completely selfless and brave and well... stupid, but then most heroic acts are. I would never blame you."

"How can you not blame me? I never really thought I wanted the baby anyway."

"Maybe you didn't realise it then, but look at how upset you are now. You did want that baby and you would have been an excellent mother. You still can be. This isn't the end. I still love you. Now more than ever. Don't let this tear us apart."

Sara turned back to face Nick. Through her tears she smiled weakly. This time she allowed him to draw her into a tight embrace. They sat there alone in the hospital room. Not talking, just allowing themselves to enjoy each other's presence. Comforted by their love for on another.

If Warrick or Ellie noticed the newfound closeness between Grissom and Catherine neither of them commented on it. They were waiting in the harshly lit hospital corridor for their chance to see Sara. Ellie was fretting.

"What if she doesn't want to see me? She should hate me. I don't think I should be here."

She didn't leave, but she looked as though she might bolt at any second. Catherine pushed down on her shoulder, forcing her to sit on a plastic chair. She sat there drumming her heels on the metal chair leg. That sound can get annoying, but since Catherine was on the verge of tapping her own toes with impatience, she let it go. Instead she settled for silently beating her fingers against her thigh. Grissom noticed this and took hold of her hand. He squeezed her fingers gently to stop them twitching. Even when her hand relaxed he didn't let go. Instead her raised her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers. Warrick's eyebrows shot up and Ellie smirked.

"Congratulations," she said dryly.

Catherine opened her mouth to give a frenzied explanation, but closed it again when she caught sight of Nick beckoning to them from an open doorway. Thankful for being saved from making a fool of herself, she hurried off towards Nick. She had forgotten that Grissom still had hold of her hand and he didn't let go, so she ended up dragging him along behind her. Warrick followed, shaking his head at this new development. Ellie brought up the rear, dragging her feet, weighed down by her guilt.

Despite her tired, pale appearance, Sara looked considerably better than the last time they had seen her, lying bleeding at the crime scene. One by one the approached the bed and hugged her, expressing their sympathy. Ellie did so stiffly, sounding uncomfortable, before retreating swiftly to the corner of the room.

Sara's observational skills had apparently not been affected by her injury and she had never been one for subtleness. She immediately took note of Grissom and Catherine's joined hands and couldn't resist commenting.

"Wow! It's nice to see some good came out of all this," she joked, gesturing to her chest wound. "This is a recent development, right? Don't tell me I missed the signs before."

"Very new," Catherine confirmed, sounding a little embarrassed.

"Cool. I'm happy for you."

Catherine didn't look convinced.

"Really. I am." Sara grinned.

"Thank you." Grissom actually sounded proud. "Anyway enough about us. How are you feeling?"

Sara pulled a face. "As well as can be expected I guess."

They spent a while just chatting, about the rioting, Sara's injury and such like. Everyone careful avoided the issue of Sara's lost baby. Only Ellie didn't partake in the conservation. She felt horribly out of place. She knew it was selfish, after all these people had almost lost one of their best friends, the least they deserved was some quality time with her, but Ellie desperately wanted to speak to Sara, alone.

After a while, a silence fell on the room. Uncertainly, Ellie spoke up.

"Ummm.... Sara. Could I speak to you please? Alone."

Her eyes flickered nervously around the room. No one spoke. They understood.

Sara smiled at the anxious girl. "Sure."

Silently, the others left the room. As he exited, Nick stooped to kiss Sara on the forehead. Once they were alone, Sara gestured to the chair beside her bed and Ellie took a seat. She sat with her arms folded across her body and her legs crossed, as though trying to protect herself. It wasn't that she felt threatened by Sara; she just didn't feel comfortable here.

Sara looked intently at her face, waiting patiently for Ellie to speak. She didn't want to push her and risk scaring her off.

"I want to say thank you, for saving my life." This came out as a rush. Ellie took a deep breath. "And I'm sorry. This wasn't the way it was supposed to be. I never realised how stupid I was being. I never realised how many people I had hurt."

Tears glistened in her eyes now, but she managed to stop them falling.

Sara took her shaking hand. "I don't know the story behind this. I don't know what you've done, but I don't believe it's all your fault."

Ellie snatched her hand away and slapped both her hands down on her knees. Her eyes now shone with anger, but it was anger at herself, not at Sara. "That's my point. You don't even know me. Surely just my presence at that riot should have told you that I'm not exactly an upstanding citizen. So why did you save me?"

"I saved you because of Catherine. I didn't know you were her niece until this morning, but when she saw you, the look in her eyes told me how important you were. They were filled with fear and love. It didn't matter how you appeared to me, fighting wildly amongst the chaos, I trust Catherine and through her I could see you were better than all that. When she was knocked to the ground and she couldn't reach you, it was as though she had already lost you. Her face froze in utter terror and mortification.

"In that instant, I saw you as she sees you. A young girl, in need of help. I stopped thinking about myself; I stopped thinking logical at all. I just knew I had to get to you. I ran and then I don't know what happened. I never reached you, so I don't see how I could have saved you, but you're still alive, so I guess something went right."

Ellie shook her head, biting her lip. "I'm so grateful. I can't find the words to express how much this means to me, but you shouldn't have done it. You paid the ultimate price and I don't deserve such a sacrifice."

"You mean my baby?" Sara asked softly.

Ellie nodded, her eyes downcast, so Sara couldn't see the tears start to fall.

"I should thank you for that."

Ellie's head shot up. "Huh?" She frowned.

Sara explained, "You know what they say, 'You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone'?"

Ellie nodded.

"Right. Well. I didn't think I wanted that baby. I didn't believe I was ready to be a mother. I was wrong. When I heard that I had lost that baby, it was the worst feeling in the world. I felt like a part of me had died too."

On catching sight of Ellie's panicked, guilt ridden expression, Sara hurried to correct herself. "I'm not saying this to make you feel worse, I'm just trying to explain."

Ellie nodded, but her expression didn't change.

Sara sighed and continued. "What I'm trying to say is that I realise now that I was ready to have a baby. I am ready. If it wasn't for you I never would have realised how precious life is and for that I thank you. Nick and I. we're going to try again now. Deliberately conceive. And this time it will be a baby that's wanted right from the start. Maybe it's better that way."

Ellie wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled weakly. "Wow! I don't know if I believe it all, but thank you for saying it. And thank you again for saving me, in more ways than one. I know you don't know my story, but you're right. I do have problems. I was supposed to be sorting myself out, but I didn't take it seriously. I screwed up big time and this is what happened." She nodded to Sara. "You've given me a second chance and I'd be crazy not to take it. Next time I might not be so lucky. Thank you and good luck with the baby. I hope you get well soon."

She gave Sara a final smile and left the room, ready to start over.

A/N It's a bit cheezy and unbelievable at the end of this chapter, but I felt some explanations were owed. This could be the final chapter, but I have a few more ideas to extend it. I think leaving it here might be leaving too many unanswered questions. So let me know what you think and I can add the alternative, less cheezy ending.

*Sorry about the z in cheesy. My mate thinks it looks better that way, so it's become habit to spell it that way. *